SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MANAGING FILES ON A STORAGE DEVICE

• US 20100191779A1
• Filed: 01/27/2009
• Published: 07/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Hinrichs, Joel H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,738,621 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/822
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/1727 Details of free space management performed by the file system saving storage space on storage systems G06F3/0608; management of blocks in storage devices G06F3/064
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0605 by facilitating the interaction with a user or administrator
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0608 Saving storage space on storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0643 Management of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0676 Magnetic disk device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0689 Disk arrays, e.g. RAID, JBOD

Abstract

Described herein are techniques for the dynamic allocation of storage capacity between multiple namespaces associated with a storage system. Data from multiple namespaces is stored in a common pool of addresses of the storage system and data from each namespace is capable of being written to any free address of the storage system at any time. Metadata associated with each of the files stored in the storage system is maintained that tracks the particular storage address or addresses and namespace associated with the file. Storage capacity can be dynamically allocated between multiple namespaces by writing data to free blocks and updating the metadata accordingly.

Claims

1. A data storage system, comprising:

a first data storage region with an associated storage capacity, the first data storage region storing data associated with at least first and second namespaces, the first namespace having a first allocation of the storage capacity and the second namespace having a second allocation of the storage capacity;

a second data storage region storing metadata regarding files associated with the first and second namespaces, the metadata identifying the namespace and a block of the first data storage region associated with a particular file;

a controller communicatively coupled to the first data storage region and the second data storage region, the controller configured to;

receive a first request to store a first file associated with the first namespace in the first data storage region;

identify at least one free block of the first data storage region based on the metadata, the free block previously storing a second file associated with the second namespace;

storing the first file at the free block;

modify a ratio of the first allocation and the second allocation based on a size of the free block; and

modify the metadata to associate the free block with the first file and the second namespace.

2. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein the free block comprises a portion of a common pool of storage blocks associated with the first and second namespaces.

3. The data storage system of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a second request to delete the first file; and

modify the metadata responsive to the second request, the information indicating that the free block is available for storage of data associated with either the first namespace or the second namespace.

4. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein the free block is physically contiguous to first and second blocks storing data associated with the second namespace.

5. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein a size of data associated with the first namespace is less than the first allocation of the storage capacity when the controller identifies the free block.

6. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein the first data storage region and the second data storage region comprise portions of non-volatile memory.

7. A data storage system comprising:

a first data storage region including a common pool of storage blocks associated with at least first and second namespaces;

a second data storage region storing, a file allocation table including a plurality of records associated with files in the first and second namespaces, each record identifying a particular file stored in the first data storage region, at least one of the storage blocks associated with the particular file and one of the first and second namespaces associated with the particular file; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the first data storage region and the second data storage region, the controller configured to;

receive a first request to store a first file associated with the first namespace;

store the first file at a first storage block;

modify a first record in the file allocation table associated with, the first file, the first record referencing the first storage block and the first namespace;

receive a second request to store a second file associated with the second namespace;

store the second file at a second storage block; and

modify a second record in the file allocation table associated with the second file, the second record referencing, the second storage block and the second namespace.

8. The data storage system of claim 7 wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a third request to delete the first file;

modify the file allocation table responsive to the third request;

receive a fourth request to store a third file associated with the second namespace;

store the third file at the first storage block;

modify a third record in the tile allocation table associated with the third file, the third record referencing the first storage block and the second namespace.

9. The data storage system of claim 7, wherein the first storage block and the second storage block are contiguous physical blocks of the first data storage region.

10. A method of dynamically allocating storage between multiple namespaces, the method comprising:

storing data associated with at least first and second namespaces on a storage device, the storage device having an associated storage capacity, the first namespace having a first allocation of the storage capacity and the second namespace having a second allocation of the storage capacity;

storing a file allocation table including information regarding files associated with the first and second namespaces, the information identifying the namespace and a block of the storage device associated with a particular file;

receiving a first request to store a first file associated with the first namespace in the first data storage region;

identifying at least one free first block of the first data storage region based on the information in the file allocation table, the first free block previously storing a second file associated with the second namespace;

storing the first file at the first free block;

modifying a ratio of the first allocation and the second allocation based on a size of the first free block; and

modifying the information in the file allocation table to associate the first free block with the first file and the second namespace.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first free block comprises a portion of a common pool of storage blocks associated with the first and second namespaces.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a second request to delete the first file;

modifying the information in the file allocation table responsive to the second request, the information indicating that the free block is available for storage of data associated with either the first namespace or the second namespace.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the first data storage region and the second data storage region comprise port oils of non-volatile memory.

11. The method of clam 10, further comprising:

receiving a second request to store a third file associated with the second namespace in the first data storage region;

identifying at least one second free block of the first data storage region based on the information in the file allocation table, the second free block being physically contiguous to the first free block;

storing the third file at the second free block; and

modifying the information in the file allocation table to associate the second free block with the third file and the second namespace.

15. A method of dynamically allocating storage between multiple namespaces, the method comprising:

storing first data associated with a first namespace in a block of a storage device;

modifying a file allocation table in association with storing the first data, the file allocation table including information identifying that the block is associated with the first data and the first namespace;

receiving a first instruction to delete the first data;

modifying the file allocation table in association with deleting the first data;

receiving a second instruction to store second data on the storage device, the second data associated with a second namespace;

identifying that the block is free based on the file allocation table;

storing the second data in the block; and

modifying the file allocation table in association with storing the second data, the updated file allocation, table including information identifying that the block is associated with the second data and the second namespace.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first namespace has a first allocation of a storage capacity of the storage device and the second namespace has a second allocation of the storage capacity, the method further comprising:

identifying that a size of data associated with the second namespace is at least equal to the second allocation of the storage capacity; and

modifying a ratio of the first allocation and the second allocation based on a size of the block.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein identifying the block is performed responsive to determining that a size of data associated with the second namespace is less than the second allocation of the storage capacity.

18. An entertainment device comprising:

a communication interface that receives presentation content from an external network;

a first data storage region including a common pool of storage blocks associated with at least first and second namespaces, the first namespace being associated with user selected content and the second namespace being associated with system operator selected content;

a second data storage region storing a file allocation table including a plurality of records associated with files in the first and second namespaces, each record identifying a particular file stored in the first data storage region, at least one of the storage blocks associated with the particular file and one of the first and second namespaces associated with the particular file; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the communication interface, the first data storage region and the second data storage region, the controller configured to;

receive a first request to store user selected content;

store the user selected content at a first storage block;

modify a first record in the file allocation table associated with the first selected content, the first record referencing the first storage block and the first namespace;

receive a second request to store first system operator selected content received via the communication interface from the external network;

store the first system operator selected content at a second storage block;

modify a second record in the file allocation table associated with the user system operator selected content, the second record referencing the second storage block and the second namespace; and

output for presentation at least one of the user selected content and the first system operator selected content.

19. The entertainment device of claim 18, wherein the presentation content comprises video content.

20. The entertainment deice of claim 18, wherein the communication interface comprises a television tuner, and wherein the user selected content comprises a television transmission.

21. The entertainment device of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to:

receive a third request to delete the user selected content;

modify the file allocation table responsive to the third request;

receive a fourth request to store second system operator selected content;

store the second system operator selected content at the first storage block;

modify a third record in the file allocation table associated with the second system operator selected content, the third record referencing the second system operator, selected content and the second namespace.

22. The entertainment device of claim 18, wherein the first block and the second block are contiguous physical blocks of the first data storage region.